Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) patriarch and Rajya Sabha MP Shibu Soren cut a 77-pound cake to celebrate his 77th birthday in the presence of the who's who of Jharkhand on Monday in Ranchi.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren commemorated the day by launching three books, two in Hindi and one in English, that depict the life struggles of Soren Senior, popularly known as Guruji in the state he helped form.

Authored by Anuj Kumar Sinha, and published by Prabhat Prakashan, the books – Dishom Guru: Shibu Soren, Tribal Hero: Shibu Soren and Suno Baccho, Adivasi Sangharsh Ke Nayak Shibu Soren in Gaatha – highlight the rise of Shibu Soren and how he fought against the Mahajani system and united the tribal community to fight against oppressive forces, officials said.

Chief minister Hemant Soren and his father Shibu Soren unveil books on Guruji's life on his 77th birthday at Aryabhatta Auditorium in Ranchi on Monday. Telegraph picture

“Today, the whole world wants to know the story of Shibu Soren. With his will power, farsightedness and years of struggle, he has become a personality people want to read about,” said Hemant.

Soren, one of the stalwarts of Jharkhand politics and a veteran of the Jharkhand Movement, is a two-time chief minister and a name synonymous with JMM, the single largest party in the Jharkhand Assembly.

Addressing guests at the ceremony at Aryabhatta Auditorium in the state capital, Senior Soren said that a small step is all it takes to achieve the greatest of targets. “No matter how difficult your target is, your first step is the beginning of success. There is no shortcut to success and no substitute for sincerity and hard work,” Soren said.

Soren’s 77th birthday was a special occasion for all his supporters and family as he defeated a Covid-19 infection last year despite dealing with several other age-related ailments. He underwent treatment at a private hospital in Gurugram and returned healthy.